TED talks: Top 10 inspired thoughts

Conference lectures have racked up millions of web views

Vancouver will host giant TED technology conference next year. TED is known for its motto of "Ideas Worth Spreading". Here is a video collection of the top 10 Ted Talks of all time: ?Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar?, ?Susan Cain: The power of introverts?, ?Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation?, Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius, ?Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability?, Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?, ?Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice?, ?Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action?, ?Richard Dawkins: Why the universe seems so strange? and ?Sam Harris: Science can answer moral questions?.

Some of the best 20-minute, relatively lo-fi conference lectures have gone viral around the web, racking up millions of views. The most popular ones cover brain science, education reform, empathy, motivation and groundbreaking technology.

The positions on the list change constantly as the viewing numbers change. This list is from 2012.

The British education expert and creativity advocate makes the case that children are underserved by the current education system. Robinson believes the arts are just as important for childhood development as mathematics and literacy, and that our traditional view of intelligence needs a radical re-think if we are to solve future problems.

Harvard-educated neuroscientist Taylor suffered a massive stroke in 1996 and it took her eight years to fully regain her ability to read, write, walk and talk. During her emotional lecture — which includes a minute-by-minute account of how it feels to have a brain hemorrhage — Taylor brings out a real human brain to illustrate how the hemispheres of the brain interact to form the full human experience.

Mistry has made a career out of pushing the boundaries of possibility with the SixthSense device he developed, which enables tasks like taking a photo or writing an email by simply making a gesture. The post-computer gadget could help prevent us from becoming “machines sitting in front of machines,” he says. A second SixthSense video is also among the Top 20 most-viewed.

The anthropologist and motivational speaker asks why some people become leaders and others do not; why some companies innovate while others stagnate. All great leaders “think, act and communicate the exact same way, and it’s the complete opposite to everyone else,” he says, because they focus on why they do something first, rather than just what they do.

The Woods Hole oceanographer and deepsea enthusiast speaks around the U.S. on issues relating to the world’s oceans. Gallo argues only three per cent of the oceans’ secrets are known; 97 per cent of their volume has yet to be discovered. Gallo shows amazing footage of bioluminescent creatures from the deep ocean and other examples of remarkable feats of evolution.

Humans are biologically wired to need connection to others, and Brown’s research for her social work doctorate brought her to the conclusion that vulnerability and “the courage to be imperfect” is the key to making successful personal connections.

The Swedish doctor and researcher tackles global health indicators like fertility, mortality rates and income levels to debunk certain myths and preconceived ideas of the developing world with animated graphs.

Traditional awards don’t work at work, says the motivational speaker, business thinker and Al Gore’s former speech writer. He says monetary awards dull creativity compared to more intrinsic motivators, according to heaps of published academic research.

The Harvard psychologist uses neuroscience to explain what makes humans happy, even when things go very badly. On the other hand,But getting what you want doesn’t always make you happy — why lottery winners and the rich and famous can still be dissatisfied.

Best known for her runaway best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love writer Gilbert asks why creative pursuits and professions are so much more fraught with anxiety, arguing for the notion that everyone has an element of genius in them — it just needs to be protected.

Some notable Canadian speakers include author and activist Naomi Klein, University of Waterloo economist Larry Smith, CBC radio host and physician Dr. Brian Goldman, violinist Natalie MacMaster, green school founder John Hardy and photographer Paul Nicklen.

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